Saturday, July 26, 2008

I've been bogged down with school--since February, really. I'd like to post more, but I just don't get the chance.

I watch the news, read blogs, listen to podcasts, and I realize that I really don't know what's going on in the world. The market falls, the market rises, oil rises, oil falls, Yes, we're going to bomb Iran, No, we're diplomats, are you crazy?

Anyone know the number of a good haruspex?

I just found out that my local independent grocery store is going out of business. I'm bummed on several levels--first, it was a great place to get really good beer--microbrews, imports, etc. I'm really gonna miss Middle Ages' Druid Fluid, because the closest place selling it is up past Bethlehem.

But I'm also depressed to see a good, locally-owned, organic-dominant grocery store go out of business. Not enough people went, obviously--it was only just over a year old, meaning it's been in Lansdale about as long as we have. There are lots of places around us going out of business, too--some chains (CompUSA and the Bombay Company left last year, and recently my husband said there were empty stores at the mall), some local. The bowling alley burned down last year, and there's no plans to rebuild. This town--like a lot of SEPA (uh, Southeastern Pennsylvania)--just feels like it's dying a slow death. Which, to be fair, it's been doing since the 1970s, just the time when I was born.

It's weird, to feel like you've been born into a dying land. While other parts of the country improve, grow, etc. (Phoenix, California), the rust belt keeps... well, rusting.

What has this to do with oil? (Or any other potential disasters?) I don't know. Maybe when transportation gets too expensive, the trend will reverse. Maybe the Southwest will be uninhabitable. Maybe we'll get a local grocery store again.

But maybe things will just go on as before, with this area on life support, barely breathing, while everything but the big box stores fail.